Review of the Year 2005/06 >> President’s foreword In the period covered by this review*, the Royal Society has continued and extended its activities over a wide front. There has, in particular, been an expansion in our international contacts and our engagement with global scientific issues. The joint statements on climate change and science in Africa, published in June 2005 by the science academies of the G8 nations, made a significant impact on the discussion before and at the Gleneagles summit. Following the success of these unprecedented statements, both of which were initiated by the Society, representatives of the science academies met at our premises in September 2005 to discuss how they might provide further independent advice to the governments of the G8. A key outcome of the meeting was an We have devoted increasing effort to nurturing agreement to prepare joint statements on the development of science academies overseas, energy security and infectious diseases ahead particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, and are of the St Petersburg summit in July 2006. building initiatives with academies in African The production of these statements, led by the countries through the Network of African Russian science academy, was a further Science Academies (NASAC). This is indicative illustration of the value of science academies of the long-term commitment we have made to working together to tackle issues of help African nations build their capacity in international importance. science, technology, engineering and medicine, particularly in universities and colleges. In 2004, the Society published, jointly with the Royal Academy of Engineering, a widely Much of the progress we have has made in acclaimed report on the potential health, recent years on the international stage has been environmental and social impacts of achieved through the tireless work of Professor nanotechnologies. This report has had Dame Julia Higgins FRS, who completes her substantial influence internationally. During the five-year term as Foreign Secretary at the end of past year, we have held follow-up workshops in November. The Society owes Julia a huge vote London and Tokyo for Japanese and British of thanks for her extraordinary efforts. She will scientists and policymakers. These efforts be succeeded by Professor Lorna Casselton FRS, exemplify the important contribution that science who I am sure will be an effective and energetic academies can make in bringing together representative for the Society around the world. researchers and policymakers on key issues. Martin Rees * Readers are advised that owing to a realignment of the Royal Society’s internal reporting practices, this document focuses on the Society’s activities for the seven-month period 1 September 2005 – 31 March 2006. Detailed information about activities and events which took place from 1 April 2005 – 31 August 2005 is available in the 2005 Review of the Year. 1 The Royal Society – Review of the Year 2005/06 >> Executive Secretary’s report Missing for three centuries, the notes and minutes of early meetings of the Society prepared by Robert Hooke reappeared in a sale of scientific manuscripts. The Society mounted a campaign to raise the money to ensure these papers were restored to their rightful place in our archives. With invaluable help from friends and the media, and through careful negotiations we secured their return only minutes before they were due to go under the hammer. Our sincere thanks go to our many donors – Fellows, friends, the Wellcome Trust and others – for their generosity and support. Securing the future health of British science income is derived from sources other than our continues to be our primary function and most Parliamentary Grant-in-Aid. During 2005/06 we of our expenditure, whether from public or worked on a wide range of national and private sources, is devoted to this. Altogether, international policy issues with a scientific more than three quarters of the Society’s outlay dimension, including the disposal of radioactive in 2005/06 was spent through our various grant waste, preparations for an influenza pandemic and fellowship schemes on support for and the economic implications of climate individuals, the funding of research and change. We were also active in providing policy international collaboration. We now support advice on science and mathematics education over 580 research fellows and give out more and recently appointed Professor Michael Reiss than 1,800 grants annually. as our first Director of Education. During the year we undertook a major review of The Society’s 2005 Anniversary day marked the our strategic priorities to ensure that we are end of Lord May of Oxford’s highly successful best placed to champion the cause of science in period in office as President, and we owe him a the years leading up to our 350th anniversary in debt of gratitude for his tireless efforts. The day 2010 and beyond. In addition to our traditional also hailed the start of Martin Rees’ five-year roles of promoting excellence in science and presidential term. Martin has an outstanding providing policy advice, we have identified two international reputation for his research and new priorities – reinvigorating science and leadership in his own discipline of astronomy. He mathematics education, and engaging the wider is also recognised as an excellent communicator, public with science. We will be launching a as was highlighted through the Michael Faraday major fundraising campaign leading up to 2010 Award which he won in 2005. The Society is to enable us to achieve our ambitious new plan. lucky to have such an accomplished figure at its helm during this vital period. Our independence is crucial to our providing authoritative and reliable advice on policy issues, Stephen Cox and is safeguarded because a third of our >> Contents 1 President’s foreword 11-12 Publishing cutting-edge scientific research 2 Executive Secretary’s report Encouraging research 3-4 Providing independent 13-14 into the history of science scientific advice Summarised financial statements 5-6 Speaking out for science and 15-16 mathematics education 17-20 Fundraising and support 7-8 Supporting excellent scientists 21 Highlights 9-10 Communicating science 1 September 2005 – 31 March 2006 The Royal Society – Review of the Year 2005/06 2 >> Providing independent scientific advice >> The Royal Society provided advice and information on science policy issues of global importance – including energy security, infectious diseases and climate change – to policymakers in the UK and abroad in 2005/06. On the international stage, the Society December 2005 and June continued its work with the science academies 2006 respectively. Through of the G8 nations, following on from the EASAC, for which it provides the secretariat, preparation of unprecedented joint statements the Society contributed to plans for the on climate change and science for Africa that development of the European Research Council it initiated and led ahead of the Gleneagles and the 7th EU Framework Programme for summit in July 2005. In September 2005, Research and Technological Development (FP7). representatives from the participating It also fed into the independent report entitled academies, including those of Brazil and India, Vaccines: Innovation and Human Health that met at the Society to discuss future work and EASAC initiated as a follow-on from its previous agreed to produce joint statements on energy report into infectious diseases, which was security and the threat of infectious diseases published in June 2005. Furthermore, the to feed into the St Petersburg summit in July Society contributed to EASAC’s advisory report 2006. In order to give G8 leaders the best on EU electricity markets, which was presented possible overall view, the science academies of to the European Parliament in April 2006 and China and South Africa also contributed. The highlighted the need for better electricity statement on energy security focused on distribution systems and connectivity in measures that governments could take to boost international electricity markets. a range of new and developing energy sources, www.easac.org while that on infectious diseases concentrated on achieving better cooperation between The Society's report, Nanoscience and countries to tackle and reduce the threat of nanotechnologies: opportunities and existing epidemics, such as HIV/AIDS, malaria uncertainties, published jointly with the Royal and tuberculosis. It also considered potential Academy of Engineering in June 2004, has future problems such as pandemic influenza. continued to have an international impact, www.royalsoc.ac.uk/G8statements prompting scientists and policymakers worldwide to consider the development of these The Society also influenced international debate emerging areas of science and technology. In on science policy issues through its membership January 2006, the Society hosted two meetings of other networks of science academies, such as with Japanese scientists, which focused on the InterAcademy Council (IAC), the research into the potential health impacts of InterAcademy Panel (IAP), the International nanoparticles. Meanwhile, the Society and the Council for Science (ICSU) and the European Royal Academy of Engineering have maintained Academies Science Advisory Council pressure on the UK Government to invest more (EASAC). It played a key role in the preparation in this area of research to ensure that regulators of the IAP’s statements on biosecurity and